References: I tried the Bourbon Barrel and Cabernet Barrel aged Barley Wines from Heavy Seas side by side today. Wow. Good work Hugh! I preferred the Cabernet Barrel Aged. It went great with blue cheese stuffed peppers and a grilled tuna steak. The Bourbon Barrel aged version was quite good too, but it seemed more appropriate for desert than with the meal. Keep in mind that these babies are 10% ABV. That fact didn’t do much for my bocce ball game and my brother pretty much kicked my ass all over my back yard.

References: This is the debut of the First Friday Beer Blogging Sessions. On the first Friday of each month, there will be an internet-wide beer tasting and beer blogging day. The theme of this first session is Stout. The rules are simply that you must write something about a stout other than the big Irish three – Guinness, Murphy’s or Beamish. Anyone with a blog can participate. The host and the theme will change every month. The two stouts featured in today’s haiku are made by Young’s – the Ram Brewery and the Great Divide Brewing Company. Cheers!